Special Consideration Policy

Special consideration is given in line with the circumstances and processes described below to candidates who suffer temporary illness, injury or indisposition, or adverse circumstances at or near the time of the assessment.

Separate arrangements exist for those who withdraw from an exam or miss an exam due to circumstances beyond their control.

The candidate’s exam result must reflect his or her achievement in the assessment, and not necessarily his or her potential ability, and it should therefore be recognised that candidates can only be judged on the performances given during the exam. An application for special consideration will therefore rarely result in an adjustment to the marks given, and will not change the assessment criteria applied by the examiner for the exam in question. Where part of an exam is not attempted, marks for that section cannot be awarded. However, a candidate may still be successful in an exam that is not completed and be awarded a certificate, provided the marks awarded for the sections attempted total 100 or more.

Applications

Application for special consideration should be made by the candidate’s applicant, in writing, to ABRSM direct, not to the examiner. It is assumed that the examiner will be notified of important circumstances affecting individual candidates, via the steward, at the time of the exam in order to allow sensitivity to his or her situation. However, this will not influence the marking, nor will the examiner decide whether special consideration can be given; this decision will be made by ABRSM only after formal application and consideration of the circumstances and any evidence submitted.

Outcomes

Applying for special consideration gives the applicant the opportunity to consider the candidate’s options in consultation with ABRSM, should the application be successful. The possible outcomes of a successful application for special consideration are:

Minor adjustment to the marks awarded, if an identifiable event or circumstance has affected performance in a particular section.

Opting to invalidate the exam in question and to take the exam again at the earliest opportunity, free of charge. This may mean travelling to an alternative centre.

Opting to invalidate the exam in question and to receive a re-entry voucher on submission of documentary evidence.

An application for special consideration should be submitted as soon as possible and should be postmarked no later than seven days after the exam, in accordance with the following conditions:

The application must be submitted by the applicant and must be in writing, with documentary evidence where appropriate i.e. medical evidence or a statement from an involved party. The application must be signed and dated and the signatory must declare that the information given is correct.

All applications should be sent to The International Operations Director, ABRSM, 24 Portland Place, London W1B 1LU, UK.

Should the applicant be unavailable in the seven days following the exam, an initial application in writing may be made by another concerned party (e.g. the accompanist or the parent), but must be followed by formal confirmation by the applicant as soon as possible in line with the instructions above.

It should be noted that an application for special consideration may delay the release of the exam result whilst proper investigation is made.

These arrangements are intended to allow for those who suffer sudden minor illness or injury at the time of the exam and do not include those who are injured in advance of their exam or are ill at the time, for whom the recommended course of action is withdrawal and, on submission of medical evidence to ABRSM, issue of a re-entry voucher.

It is not advisable for a candidate who is unwell to attend for an exam, nor for those experiencing illness or injury to be assessed under disadvantageous circumstances that cannot be taken into account by the examiner.

Where the illness or injury is very minor and rescheduling the exam within that session of exams would be helpful, every effort is made to find an alternative appointment, although this may mean attending at an alternative centre.

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